Chapter 243: The Last Day in San Francisco
"Are you two keeping secrets from your parents again?" Ben Parker's curiosity was piqued by Peter's eager tone.
"Uh..." Peter stammered, unsure how to answer Uncle Ben.
Fortunately, Aunt May chimed in at that moment. "Alright, Ben, it's the boys' secret. Don't go poking your nose into it."
"No, I'm not poking my nose in. I was just asking a casual question, you know, being concerned about their growth," Ben Parker said with a sheepish grin. Once Aunt May spoke up, he didn't press the matter further.
As soon as Silas finished his breakfast, Peter impatiently dragged him into their room.
"There's definitely a secret," Ben Parker muttered, narrowing his eyes. As an expert at observation, he was determined to figure out what was going on.
Inside the Room
"What's going on, Peter? You had to drag me all the way in here," Silas said, already having a good guess as to what Peter wanted to show him.
Peter took a deep breath. "Silas, what I'm about to show you... you have to promise not to be shocked."
"Don't worry, I'm a professional. I never get shocked," Silas replied with a serious face.
"Okay. Don't blink and don't shout." Peter closed his eyes, focusing on the Venom symbiote within his body.
Slowly, the black substance surged out, rapidly covering Peter and forming the sleek black Spider-Man suit. Peter immediately looked at Silas, expecting a face full of awe and bewilderment. However, when his gaze landed on Silas, his brother looked completely unfazed.
"Silas, aren't you even a little surprised?" Peter asked, feeling a bit deflated. This wasn't the reaction he had imagined.
"Didn't you tell me not to be shocked? Besides, like I said, I'm a professional." Silas smiled and gave Peter a thumb's up.
"Well, I just thought... anyway." Peter didn't know what else to say.
"Alright, Peter. Is this the thing that crawled into your body last night?" Silas asked, feigning ignorance.
Peter nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't seem to have any downsides, though. In fact, it's significantly boosted my strength."
"So, are you still going to the hospital for a check-up?" Silas teased.
"No way. I feel better than I ever have before." Peter clenched his fist, feeling the surge of raw power. With the enhancement of this suit, taking down criminals would be much easier and more efficient.
"Silas, what do you think this thing is? Why was it inside the Life Foundation?" Peter felt a bit of regret that he hadn't fully investigated the facility before exposing himself last night.
The primary reason was the homeless man whose life was in danger. He had to act, otherwise, he would have stayed hidden to dig deeper into the Life Foundation's secrets.
"I'm not sure. But we could always sneak back in tonight," Silas said, mimicking a walking motion with two fingers in the air.
"That's a great idea. But after what happened last night, they'll definitely be on high alert." Peter found himself missing the days when they could use the Shadow Kingdom to travel. If Silas could use it now, the Life Foundation would be their backyard—they could come and go as they pleased.
"Don't worry. Is there anything that can stop Spider-Man?" Silas patted Peter on the shoulder encouragingly.
"You're right, Silas. No obstacle can stop Spider-Man!" Peter resolved to infiltrate the Life Foundation again that night. He wasn't afraid of a challenge, especially with his new suit.
"Then you're on your own for tonight's trip," Silas added. He didn't want to go back there again; he had other things to attend to.
"Fair enough." Peter didn't want to trouble Silas unnecessarily.
Inside Peter's body, Venom was staring intently at Silas. It could smell the scent of its own kind coming from him. Silas's sharp Spider-Sense felt someone watching him, and he knew exactly where that gaze was coming from.
Growl~ Peter's stomach suddenly let out a loud rumble.
"That's weird. I literally just finished breakfast, but I'm starving again." Peter headed out to see if the breakfast spread had been cleared away.
Silas watched Peter's back. For a brief second, the symbiote's head materialized on Peter's shoulder, looking back at Silas with a deep, knowing stare.
Click! Peter opened the door and left.
"Bold little symbiote," Silas thought. He hadn't expected Venom to show itself and meet his gaze directly. From that brief exchange, it seemed Venom had gained some courage, likely emboldened by Peter's own strength.
"I'm looking forward to your performance, Venom," Silas whispered before returning to his own space.
The Final Day
Since today was their last day in San Francisco, Peter knew he had to find the Life Foundation's internal data tonight. If they returned to New York and Silas's "Shadow Kingdom connection" didn't recover, it would be almost impossible for him to come back here.
Because it was their final day, Ben Parker took the whole family out for a day of sightseeing. Everyone was having a great time, but Peter seemed preoccupied.
"How's it going, son? Is San Francisco not living up to the hype?" Ben Parker asked, walking up to Peter.
"No, it's great. I'm having a lot of fun," Peter replied, snapping out of his thoughts with a smile.
"Then why have you been so mopey the whole way?" Ben had been watching Peter for a while. Usually, Peter was the most energetic one on trips while Silas was the quiet one. Right now, Silas was up ahead taking photos for Aunt May.
"It's nothing, just thinking about things. Do you need a professional photographer?" Peter asked, nodding toward Silas and May.
"We definitely do. But before that, let me—the master photographer—show you what real photography looks like," Ben said, patting his chest confidently.
Peter temporarily pushed the Life Foundation matter to the back of his mind and focused on his family. Silas handed the camera over to Peter, finally getting a break. Taking photos for Aunt May was exhausting; no matter how he took them, she was never quite satisfied, always saying they were "just a little bit off." Letting Peter handle it was a relief.
"Silas, do you want me to teach you how to take a proper photo?" Ben asked.
"No thanks, Uncle Ben. I'm not really interested in photography." Silas sat down leisurely on a bench, watching the other two.
"Not interested? I'm an expert; I guarantee I can make it interesting," Ben insisted.
"Actually, Uncle Ben, I've been meaning to ask you something," Silas turned to him.
Ben sat down beside him. "Of course, Silas. I'm always happy to answer your questions."
"Is there anything you can't do?" Silas asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.
"Well, I suppose I'm reasonably competent in most fields," Ben replied without missing a beat, as if he were just stating a mundane fact of life.
"Impressive, Uncle Ben," Silas said, genuinely admiring the man.
"Of course. Your Uncle Ben has quite a lot of life experience." Ben began to reminisce. "Back in my school days..."
Time slipped away as the family sat together, listening to Ben Parker boast about his high school glory days. As for why Silas considered it "boasting"...
"I was the man on campus back then..."
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